Fort Monmouth Slated To Close - Jobs Will Move To Maryland
In an apparent Republican effort to penalize New Jersey, a so called “blue state”, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission has voted to close Fort Monmouth in central New Jersey. Under the guise of saving money and modernizing U.S. Armed forces, approximately 4,000 jobs will be moved from the New Jersey base to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, a so called “red state.”
Editor: Please excuse our error – Maryland is a “blue state”. Please see 2004 election results below:
Maryland: Kerry – 56%-Bush 43% New Jersey: Kerry 53%-Bush 46%
Editor: Please excuse our error – Maryland is a “blue state”. Please see 2004 election results below:
Maryland: Kerry – 56%-Bush 43% New Jersey: Kerry 53%-Bush 46%
Posted by Enlighten-NewJersey @ 10:03 PM
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7 Comments:
Check here. A gain of 25,000 jobs for Red States and a loss of 11,000 jobs for Blue States.
Hey, but statistical correlations are meaningless. The connection between cigarettes and cancer is only statistical too, after all.
You are very generous with New Jersey's jobs. I don't feel the same generosity over thousands of jobs leaving the state. For my part, I'm a little tired of New Jersey getting screwed over every time the Republican-controlled federal government decides to screw someone over. Maybe you believe that BRAC was completely apolitical, but I don't buy it. And I'm tired of New Jersey's federal tax money supporting all the deadbeat states like Alabama and Mississippi while we have needs here at home.
It is noted in the Raw Story article I cited above that Maryland gains the most jobs. The total gains and losses are interesting, though, as is the pattern of New Jersey not getting a return for its tax money. And yes, that raises some serious questions with me. Yes, I wanted to hear ALL of our congressmen making a lot of noise about all of the base closings. No, I don't believe it was all about what's best for the military. Yes, I think there was an element of politics in the decisions.
But don't let me interrupt you with my petty concern for jobs in NJ.
The thing is, they aren't New Jersey's jobs. These jobs serve the purposes of the federal government, and should be located where they can best serve that purpose.
I hear you Ken, and yet I can't help but think that the common good wasn't the highest consideration.
We could go round and round about the country being on a wartime economy and therefore the jobs have to be spread around because they are merely an economic prop and not a real military effort (how many of the new jobs are created in the public and not the private sector?) The fact remains that New Jersey's tax money goes out of state and never returns. The base closing is more of the same. Why couldn't bases be consolidated into Fort Monmouth instead of away from Fort Monmouth? We are hemorraging funding and this is a big loss to the state. When you look at the pattern of what is occurring, New Jersey is getting shafted, and I am not in agreement that this is all some innocent realignment to the benefit of all. Why is it that New Jersey has managed to maintain a better unemployment record than the nation as a whole? I would argue that this shows the state is a good place to do business and to live. If that is the case, then why is it good for everyone except the federal government?
Frog,
New Jersey has not managed to keep a better emplyment record than the rest of the nation. 43% of the jobs New Jersey has added since the Democrats have controlled Trenton been government jobs. That compares to 6% for the nation as a whole for the same time period. See our post based upon a recent report published by Rutgers on the subject.- http://enlightennj.blogspot.com/2005/08/rutgers-report-new-jerseys-economy.html
You wrote: "When you look at the pattern of what is occurring, New Jersey is getting shafted."
See our post as to why New Jersey is being "shafted" as you would say. We thought you'd be trilled, the "progressive" policies you advocate are responsible for the "shafting".
http://enlightennj.blogspot.com/2005/08/whats-matter-with-new-jersey-ii.html
Why couldn't those jobs be brought to Ft Monmouth? Where would you propose we put the soldiers and their equipment?
I'd sell that facility to the highest bidder and see how many jobs that piece of property could produce.
We are not in a position to determine if Ft. Monmouth should remain open or be closed. We have no idea if the nation would be better off if the work/jobs stay in New Jersey or move to Maryland.
We assume the military planners place security of the nation first when making their recommendations for base closures. Whether the BRAC has made a good or bad decision concerning Ft. Monmouth, we will leave to the experts to discuss.
The point of our post was that the decision to close Ft. Monmouth had nothing to do with the fact New Jersey is a “blue state.” The jobs from Ft. Monmouth are slated to move to an even “bluer state, Maryland. Why Maryland and not the way around, you’d have to ask the military planners and perhaps the Democrat leaders in New Jersey’s congressional delegation.
More annoying than anything else is the fact that our wise old leaders in Trenton decided not to apply for the federal aid offered to states with base closings. Our wise leaders said that applying for the aid would be like condoning the base closing. Good plan eh?
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